Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Rumor is this artifact was once the tool of a time Barron. It's a multi utility tool that can differentiate reality and mettle with simple mechanical or electrical devices.

To differentiate reality a roll is made against the level of the creature or device pulling subterfuge. The sonic spanner counts as 2 levels of resource. The exact nature of the subterfuge is not given, just that something is not as it seems.

As a tool the sonic spanner can lock and unlock simple locks. Can make security camera scramble for up to a minute and weapons misfire on their next use.

The sonic spanner is immune to all forms of attack and for all intensive purposes is invulnerable. It's also immune to all effects of time distortion and reality translations. So it always looks exactly the same no matter where or when it is encountered.

Infused with Wylder magic the stalwart and stoic guardians are the guardians of the Royal bloodlines.
Some say its a mark of honor to be accepted as a guardian. Other wispier that the honorably fallen fill the ranks of the guardians. Only the Oath keepers know who they really are. All know they are a force of nature in battle.

I've voiced my love for limited level progression a few times in this blog. Often revolving around Epic 6. If you don't know what it is check it out. Epic 6

I love the epic feel of these campaigns. To me a limited range of levels keeps the game grounded, no power or epic levels where players become superheroes in fantasy. Limiting hit die and attack bonus means there the game stays closer to most fantasy fiction.

Without the hundred or so hit points the players are never able to just waltz in and slay a dragon. Dragons and other high HD creatures will always be Epic and scary.

Limited level games make the need and necessity of epic weapons and armor quest worthy. Want to take out a dragon? Sounds like a quest for Dragon bane swords and resistant armor is in order. Rings of power and sound tactics. Anything less is suicide.

My house rules for starting hit points to be equal to constition score plus level grew out of my epic 6 games. (often with a small bonus for fighters and clerics. Or racial bonuses)

Trying my hand at an alternate take on weapon specialization for fighters for my Lost realms campaign.

Fighters at level one can pick a specific weapon to become experienced in. Being experienced in a weapon gives the fighter a +1 to hit. and all rolls of a natural 20 does maximum damage.

At level 4 a fighter can choose a new weapon to be experienced in, or choose to become specialized in a weapon previously experienced in. Being specialized in a weapon gives the fighter a +1 to hit and damage, and maximum damage on a natural 19-20.

At level 7 a fighter can choose a new weapon to be experienced in, or choose to become specialized in a weapon previously experienced in.

At level 10 a fighter can choose a new weapon to be experienced in, or choose to become specialized in a weapon previously experienced in. a fighter can also choose to master a weapon previously Specialized in. Having mastery of a weapon means the fighter rolls two dice when rolling to hit and keeps the best of the two rolls and does maximum damage on a natural roll of 19-20.

Here is a few rules changes I made to Basic fantasy to get the feel I wanted for my lost realms game.

1. All characters start with hit points equal to their Con score plus their level. Fighters and Clerics gain a 5hp bonus.
At levels 5,10,15, & 20 fighters and clerics get a +2 hit point bonus.

2. Spells that scale. Spells like fireball that normally scale a die per level now scale a die + 1 per level of the caster.

3. Spell focus. A spell user can Choose a spell to cast, but instead choose to focus the spell delaying its effect. For every turn the spell is delayed add +1 to the damage and difficulty to save against when the spell does go off. If the caster is attacked or otherwise distracted during a focus they must make an Int save to maintain focus.

4. All characters can choose to make a defensive action. Adding +1 to their AC until the beginning of the characters next turn.

5. Recovery roll. After a combat any character who receives triage, Small breather, stop bleeding, bandage wounds gains one hit die in hit points.

Tattoo magic is expensive and rare. Even in the southlands where it's more prevalent, finding a skilled Tattooist is no simple task.

Having a magic tattoo inscribed into your flesh cost 200g times the level of the spell. the tattoo takes one half hour per level to inscribe, and can't be used until it is healed for at least 2 days. No one can have a magical tattoo higher level than their own level. Inscribed can only have a number of tattoos equal to their own level -1.Magical tattoos act differently on magic users and non-magic users.

Magic users use of magic tattoos is easy. A magic user can burn any prepared spell of the spell inscribed level or higher to cast the inscribed spell.

All other classes have to rely on the magic stored in the tattoo. Once the spell is cast the tattoo is inert until the next day.

All magical tattoos can be powered by the inscribed persons life force. Any time a magical tattoo is cast the inscribed person can give up hit points equal to the spells level to cast it.